Compression Tube Benders

Winton offers a line of high speed vertical compresson benders. These machines are designed to get the maximum number of parts off the floor per day.

Manufacturers who bend tubing using the same process day in and day out are often searching for faster and more efficient tube bending machines that are capable of producing precision bent tubes.

Daily applications range from aerospace to medical devices to children's toys. Flexibility is often needed to form these parts when the bending process is the last step in an assembly process. Flexibility also includes quick die changes to accommodate different diameter tubing and constantly changing bend radii. A vertical compression bender fits the profile.

Often used for dedicated applications, a vertical compression bender allows for the flexibility to change dies to accommodate different tube diameters and bend radii. By adding a few external stops, a vertical compression bender can quickly make several different bends on the same part in under 15 seconds.

Mechanics Of A Vertical Compression Bender
A vertical compression bender makes use of a bend die that advances through two wing dies. The drive system for the bend die is either hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical. As the bend die advances downward toward the two wing dies, each wing die rotates outward and away from the advancing bend die.

The wing dies support the tube along with the bend die in the area of the bend. The further downward the bend die advances the greater the bend angle is imposed on the part being bent. It is the job of the wing dies to hold the tube in position during the bending process. This is accomplished by an upward force on each of the wing die assemblies.

A sufficient upward force (counter to the advancing bend die) is required to prevent the wing dies from separating from the bend die during the bending process. An upward force (often referred to as the cushion) on the wing dies can be accomplished by an opposing cylinder to the bend die's drive system.

As the bend die advances through the wing dies the direction of the force from the cushion on the wing die assemblies changes. With this in mind, it is important to ensure adequate contact between the tube and the wing dies as all times.

For large bend angles it may be necessary to increase the counter force to help prevent separation between the wing dies and the bend die. Each wing die is able to slides along a linear path away from its respective pivot point thus allowing a 1 to 1 contact between the tube and each wing die.

Properly adjusted, there should be no slip between either wing die and the tube itself. The 1 to 1 contact reduces friction and thus reduces the necessary force required by the bend die's drive system. With 1 to 1 contact, crown tooling can be employed to reduce the ovality of the final bend. As the bend die retracts, springs return each wing die, along it linear path, to its home position.